Trends of epitaxial perovskite oxide films catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

TL;DR

This review discusses the potential of epitaxial perovskite oxide films as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media, highlighting synthesis, structure, mechanisms, and future research opportunities.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of epitaxial perovskite oxides for OER, including synthesis methods, structural insights, and systematic activity trends, which were not previously summarized in detail.

Findings

Identified key structural parameters influencing activity

Surveyed synthesis techniques for epitaxial films

Highlighted trends in electrocatalytic performance

Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is considered a key reaction for electrochemical energy conversion but slow kinetics hamper application in electrolyzers, metal-air batteries and other applications that rely on sustainable protons from water oxidation. In this review, the prospect of epitaxial perovskite oxides for the OER at room temperature in alkaline media is reviewed with respect to fundamental insight into systematic trends of the activity. First, we thoroughly define the perovskite structure and its parameter space. Then, the synthesis methods used to make electrocatalytic epitaxial perovskite oxide are surveyed, and we classify the different kinds of electrodes that can be assembled for electrocatalytic investigations. We discuss the semiconductor physics of epitaxial perovskite electrodes and their consequences for the interpretation of catalytic results. Prototypical mechanisms of the OER are introduced and comparatively discussed. OER investigations on epitaxial perovskite oxides are comprehensively surveyed and selected trends are graphically highlighted. The review concludes with a short perspective on opportunities for future electrocatalytic research on epitaxial perovskite oxide systems.